Asthma page 5

Peak-flow meters can be prescribed or bought. These provide a means of gauging the degree of breathlessness in a patient, and therefore indicate whether or not medical treatment is required. For safety's sake, always carry your inhaler with you.

We have discussed asthma caused by infections and sensitivities to temperature changes and climatic conditions. Now we come to the most common cause of asthma - allergens. In this illness inhalant allergens are even more common than food allergens. Any of the following or any combination of the following may be responsible for an asthma attack. Any sort of dust or pollen should be avoided by asthmatics, whether or not they are a cause, because they are likely to aggravate the condition. Pollen sensitivity is very common, and even a few grains can spark off a severe attack. Grass, flowers and trees all produce pollen. Seasonal asthma between February and May is likely to be caused by tree pollens; asthma from early June to mid-July will be caused by grass pollen, and asthma from July to November may well be caused by mould spores. Watch out for pine trees at Christmas. Many allergic people are affected by pine.

The one thing all allergists agree upon is the detrimental effect of cigarette smoke upon the asthmatic. Not only should he not smoke himself but other people's cigarette smoke should be avoided at all costs. Luckily for asthmatics smoking has become socially unacceptable in most places so it is now easier to avoid.

Other possible causes of asthma include woollen clothes and blankets, feather pillows, duvets and cushions, house-dust mites in carpets and bedding, and horse-hair mattresses and sofas. Watch out also for dogs, cats, birds, rabbits, horses and hamsters. (The only pets you can really be sure of being safe with are fish.) Don't be in a hurry to get rid of your pet, though. The cause of the asthma may not even be the pet itself - it could be his bedding or even his food, and these can be changed. Great distress can be caused to the asthma sufferer - as well as to the pet - if you get rid of the pet, so do find out first whether there is another answer, such is being desensitised to the allergen, before you do anything drastic. You may even be mistaken, and there could be another cause altogether.

Other causes of asthma include household fumes such as gas, oil, coal, wood fires, etc, industrial fumes, traffic fumes, paint, creosote, wood preservatives, air fresheners, aerosol sprays, cavity wall insulation, synthetic fabrics, solvents, varnishes, soft plastics, household cleaners, detergents, disinfectants, washing up liquid, perfumes, perfumed soaps, cosmetics, toiletries (men's as well as women's), indoor plants, chemicals used in the garden or in nursery gardens, farm chemicals (including aerial sprays), moulds (found in old houses) and environmental pollution of any kind. There are many occupational hazards, and the asthmatic should definitely not go for a job which would bring him into contact with grains or straw or sawdust or any other form of dust particles. Likewise, he should avoid working in places such as hairdressers, dry cleaners or anywhere where chemicals of any kind are in constant use.

A final but important point is that it is essential that an asthmatic (or his parent) talks to the anaesthetist before undergoing an operation and that his history of asthma is thoroughly discussed.

Foods and drinks can be (and very often are) implicated in an asthma attack either singly, together, or in combination with one or more inhalants. The most common one, certainly in infants and possibly in everyone else, is cow's milk. Most baby formulas are made from cow's milk, a product was intended by Nature for calves and is therefore not always suitable for human infants. Other suspect foods include eggs, cheese, wheat, corn, yeast, fish, pork, peanuts, nuts, spices, citrus fruits, chocolate. peas, beans, beef, onion and tomatoes. Some people's sensitivity is such that even the odours to these foods can trigger an asthma attack.

© Food & Chemical Allergy Association